Usually the radioactive waste of a nuclear facility is stored in the radioactive reservoir or in the container of the reservoir. To resist high-dosage radiation of the radioactive waste, the radioactive waste is distributed in reservoirs and/or their containers with water filled in. Due to considerations of nuclear security and protection, it is in need to sample, analyze, and monitor the radioactive solution in the reservoirs and their containers, in order to determine the nuclides and the radiation dosage at different depths in the radioactive solution wherein. Thus a database concerning the radioactive conditions can be built up to facilitate the setup of a standard operating procedure for nuclear facilities.
Conventional sampling techniques for underwater radioactive solution are generally applicable to the shallow part of the reservoirs or their containers, and are not capable to sample the solution in the deep. Besides, radiation dosage would accumulate in human bodies of samplers or operators, who have to work in the radioactive circumstance for a long time. More recently a remote-controlled sampling apparatus for underwater radioactive solution was proposed. However, complex operation and an additional underwater camera are prerequisite for the apparatus.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an apparatus and/or a method for sampling underwater radioactive solution that is more effective, low-cost, easy to process, and radiation-resistant than the presently available.